Amanda Stephan's Blog: God is Good, God is Great, page 39

Books: The Ultimate Islands of Imagination

Books can be many things to many people. They can be a comfort like a
hot bowl of soup on a cold day, they can be entertainment, they can be
informative, and they can be islands of imagination taking us on
journeys to places we would never go otherwise.



One of my greatest joys is the fact that almost daily my daughter and I
share a book or two and take these journey's together. Just recently we
shared some fun discoveries while reading the book The Island of Skog by Steven Kellog.



 The
Island of Skog is a story of mice trying to find freedom and a place to
live in peace. They find an  island home perfect in every way except
for the sole skog inhabitant who tries to scare them off. The story is
quite entertaining, the
illustrations quite fine, and I was certainly surprised to find
out who the skog really was. So if you and your child
like a little bit of mystery you need to get this book and find out who
the
skog is for your selves.



As a side note, I was excited to see that this
copy, borrowed from the school library, was autographed by Mr. Kellog.
He even drew a little skog holding a heart next to his name.



So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general. www.BooksByAmanda.com

Christian Devotional - The Shield

Have you seen the new Avengers Movie? I realize this may be a bit of a stretch for a devotional, but hang with me for just a minute. In that movie, Captain America used his shield to fend off the many attacks that are sent his way. In one particular scene, he’s fighting a monster who pulls out a type of grenade and Captain America jumps up in the air and pulls his body into a tight tuck, hidden completely from the blast and protected by his amazing shield.





Today as we continue to look at the Armor of God, we’re looking at the shield of faith. This shield is meant to hide and protect us from all the attacks that we are certain to face. Let’s go back through the verses in Ephesians and add the next verse dealing with the shield.





Ephesians 6:13-16 – “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”





The shield of faith is the next piece of the Armor that God has given us to be able to resist the inevitable attacks that are headed our way. All those flaming arrows are bearing down on us and we’re going to need protection. Our defense? Faith. Faith allows us to snuff out and deflect every flaming arrow that Satan sends toward us trying to make us doubt or fear or disobey. Having our faith in Jesus Christ gives us the confidence to know that we know that we know, God is truth and we can place our full confidence in Him.





But wait, shouldn’t that be enough? Faith is indeed very powerful, but we can’t just walk out the door in the morning carrying our shield of faith and forgetting every other piece of armor we’ve already talked about. The Bible clearly says in verse 16 above, “in addition to all.” Faith is at its strongest when it is based on truth, righteousness, and preparation. When Satan attacks us with doubt, for example, being able to have faith, knowing that we’re founded on the Truth of the Word of God, guarding our heart with righteousness, and being prepared and ready, gives our faith that much more stability to stand our ground and not succumb to the attack.





One more note, in the Avengers, Captain America uses his shield as a weapon in addition to being his protection. He throws it as a means to attack and take down the enemy. Unfortunately, that is where the similarities to God’s shield of faith end. We should never use faith as a means of attack, especially against others. I’ve seen Christians lash out at others, both believers and non-believers, telling them they are superior because they have stronger faith. They believe they are going to conquer all because of their amazing faith. They are wrong. That is simply not how God designed us to fight our battles. Faith is our protection; it guards our whole self from the lies and attacks of Satan. It was never meant to be used as a weapon to accuse and belittle others. God does give us a weapon to use and we’ll study that 2 weeks from now, but rest assured it is not faith.





Are we using our faith to guard and protect ourselves when the attacks come? Is our faith grounded in the truth of God, strengthened by our passion for righteousness, and tested by our preparation? If so, we are well on our way to being ready to walk out and guard ourselves from the attacks so that we can stand firm.





Kristi Burchfiel, Christian devotional author and speaker

Living in the World – Living out the Word

Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook page



**Check out my newest release: The Daily Devotional Series: Psalm, volume 3 now available on Smashwords and Amazon**www.BooksByAmanda.com

Escaping the Cauldron - Book Review

How many of us feel a little in awe of the occult? Scary movies, paranormal books, seemingly innocent children's games, whatever, and this time of year is conducive to such feelings and curiosities. What would a Christian who had come out of all this have to say about it? I admit I did have some amount of trepidation when I signed up to review this book. Would this author seek to combine witchcraft and Christianity? That would be tantamount to combining oil and water and having the mixture not separate.



And, what would cause a Christian to turn from God to occultic practices? She answers those questions beautifully and pointedly - without reservation and judgment. She doesn't blame her choices and situations on others. Instead she accepts responsibility for her own actions and reactions, and that was rather refreshing.



The author states in her introduction:

"...I pursued purity as a means of having a deeper connection with God...The life I created became narrow-minded and legalistic...I lost a vital part of my understanding about God. His grace. I lost sight of the merciful nature of my Savior."

Many of us, Christians included, find paranormal things mysterious and beguiling. Enticing, even. What started as an innocent look at a seemingly harmless religion brought her down a dark, scary path that was all but innocent.



The author states:

"I became a Christian witch. Did I lose my mind or Bible? There is no such thing as a Chrsitian witch. Who would even believe such a thing as even possible? Someone influenced by a postmodern society. A person hungry for spirituality without rules."



Friends, Satan is alive and well. And he's as beguiling and crafty as ever. Christians must not ignore the truths placed before us in God's Word. The battle is alive and well, and we're facing a formidable enemy.



I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a deeper understanding of these things without leaving your Christian beliefs behind. Well written and engaging, this book can be used not only to better understand, but help Christians not shy away from reaching out to those who have lost their way or are embroiled in the occult. Kristine McGuire has a message. A clear, confident message that needs to be shared with others who may have felt the draw and enticement of the occult.



This isn't just a story of one woman's release from the occult, but of God's steadfast love, grace and mercy. His love and attention toward a prodigal. Is it possible for a Christian to become embroiled in witchcraft and come out again?

I ask you,

Is anything too hard for God?

1 John 1:9



Quotes:

-The Bible simply became a book of wisdom, literature, and history. I rejected it as the inerrant Eord of God, embracing spiritual experience as my guide. - how many times have we heard the same thing?

-I avoided the corporate church experience - another, oft-used argument.

-I'm spiritual but not religious. - dangerous beginnings down a dark path

-Spiritual syncretism is the blending of otherwise incompatible belief systems into a unified whole. This is the foundation of Christian witchcraft

-Freedom found me the day I realized I was not bound to witchcraft. - this is the authors own words when she realized God's grace and mercy were offered to her. And it was as much grace and mercy He offered those who had never become involved in the occult or witchcraft. Yes. The grace and mercy He offers to every one today. All she had to do?

Accept it.

The same as everyone else.





www.BooksByAmanda.com

Unbroken

Today when I arose, I found my Bible lying open on my laptop. No, it wasn’t a supernatural kind of thing. It was a husband thing. He has been doing this for the past few days.





I haven’t asked him about it. Maybe I should. And I’m not sure if he wants me to read where he was reading…but, I have been.



So, today I started reading about the triumphant entry, you know the day when Jesus rides into the Jerusalem on the back of donkey.



Here is the scripture in Mark chapter 11 verses 1-7: As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”



4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.





Yes, I realize we have all read these verses over and over. We hear them every Easter. We see this enacted in plays. It’s a common enough scripture. But something hit me today as I was reading it.



The donkey was unbroken. He’d never been sat upon. He’d never had a cowboy sit on his back long enough through his bucking to finally bring him to submission.





I got to thinking about this. How much are we like that donkey? When he calls us, he takes us as we are and makes something useful of us. He gives us a job to do for His glory, regardless of our talents. Most of the time, it’s in spite of them.

I love that Jesus uses an unbroken donkey to carry the king of kings on his back. I love that Jesus uses me, a woman who does not deserve mercy yet finds her worthy enough for both mercy and grace.



If you have been questioning your worth lately, know this. God has called you and set you apart to serve him as only you can do. He counts you worthy of grace and mercy and loves you more than there are stars in the sky.



Thank you for taking the time to grow with me this Wednesday!



Blessings,

Darlene Shortridge

Author of Until Forever and Forever Blessed

www.darleneshortridge.com







www.BooksByAmanda.com

DIY Linky!

I love DIY. Being on the rather frugal side of life, (that's what happens on one income. You learn how to squeeze every nickel and dime until they scream. Don't worry. They like it.) ;) I've learned the value of doing it myself. Some people like puzzles. Some people like forensic science (weird, I know ~ jk!) and some people like to figure out how to do things.



I'm the latter.



If there's a way I can save my sweet spouse some money so he can take us to the movies (hint...hint. Hotel Transylvania opens tomorrow, dear) then I'm all for it!



And then I said to myself,

"Self? I bet there's other stay at home wives and mothers that might like something of this sort. Why not start a linky so we can group together and someday Rule. The. World! but. Don't y'all get too excited. I'm queen. Because it was my idea. You will be my minions...



again. I'm kidding. Because that's what I like to do.

SO!

For all you DIY'ers this one's for You. And. Please be gentle. This is my first linky party, so if you find something that could make this better, by all means, tell me please! Just be nice. Because one day I'm going to be Queen.



Sign up using the linky form below and let's get this party started right now!



Amanda's Upcycled Lip Balm 

2 oz beeswax

2 oz coconut oil

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Essential oil of your choice ~ Eucalyptus, peppermint, vanilla, lemon

Recycled lip balm tubes ~ cleaned and dried

1 turkey/chicken marinade injector ~ cleaned or unused



Combine the beeswax and coconut oil in a microwave safe container.  
Microwave on high, stirring at 45 second intervals. 
While waiting for the mixture to completely melt, combine olive oil and several drops of essential oil. Cinnamon leaf or Vanilla are great ones to try. WAIT! We could try them together...ARGH! I have no beeswax left! If you try this, let me know how it turns out, please?
Stir until blended together. 
Once beeswax and coconut oil are completely melted, stir in olive oil mixture until well mixed. 
Using the new, unused Turkey marinade injector (the funny part? Hubby doesn't have a clue where all  his injectors go) suck up some warm liquid. Make sure it's quite warm, or it'll be difficult to suction up.








Insert injector into cleaned and supported lip balm tubes. Inject liquid until it reaches the very top.








 Set on countertop until completely cooled.
Once completely cooled and firm, twist bottom up until lip balm is slightly above the rim of the tube. Trim off uneven top and save the cut off part for another use! 
Hide several in secret places from your husband and children or you won't have any... ;)






These projects will only be available for a limited time.These will be removed and added to my *Exclusive, Member's Only*page on my website for Newsletter Subscribers.

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Amanda Stephan~Christian AuthorBooksByAmanda.com               

Autumn's Arrival ...

Autumn is upon us once again and it's time to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves, spiced cider, approaching holidays, and so much more. I myself am ready to search out a good crock pot apple butter recipe. As the weather grows colder, it is inevitable that our children will tend to spend more time inside thus making it necessary for us to help them find ways to entertain themselves. One way that I help Emily to keep from getting bored is by finding interesting crafts for her to complete.





One great craft that helps us celebrate the arrival of Autumn is a leaf mosaic. If you and your sprouts would like to make one as well, then you will need an 8 1/2" X 11" piece of white card stock, a glue stick, and one sheet of colored paper in each of the following colors: red, green, orange, and yellow (brown is also a good color choice).





Take the green colored paper and trace a leaf pattern in the center and then cut out the leaf outline. Once the leaf is removed, paste the green paper with the center leaf cut out onto the card stock. Next, cut the remaining colored papers, including the green leaf, into small pieces. The pieces can be triangular in shape, diamond shaped, square, or irregular. Using the colored pieces, create a mosaic border around the edge of the paper and paste on the pieces. And lastly, paste pieces inside of the leaf cut out. And there your have it my friends, a beautiful and easy to make leaf mosaic to hang on the fridge or other place of distinction!



This mosaic can also be created by using a green colored card stock and gluing a white leaf in the center. And if you need a leaf pattern, here are some sites to check out. Digital Card Fun or Kids Crafts & Recipes Craft Jr.



So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general.



www.BooksByAmanda.com

Christian Devotional - All About the Shoes

“I love your shoes!!”





We’re continuing our look at the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. Today, we’re looking at the shoes. As we’ve seen, the Armor is God is crucial to help protect us from the inevitable attacks of Satan. Today’s armor accessory that every believer must have is the right footwear.





Ephesians 6:13-15 “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”





That’s right ladies, it’s all about shoes today! I have several friends who are all about the shoes and love to look at shoes and dream about shoes. Even I, who am considerably fashion-challenged, own a couple of pairs I call my “fun shoes.” (My favorite is a pair of red 5 inch spike heels. Since I’m already 5’8”
tall, they certainly make a statement.)



 









But the Bible is not really speaking about the latest
fashions and trends. Instead, it’s about making sure that we’re wearing the
right shoes for the task at hand. You see, as much as I love my red heels, I’m
not going to wear them when I go jogging or head out to help on my parents’
farm. They aren’t appropriate to the task at hand and I would be extremely
ineffective accomplishing the required tasks if I tried. For believers in Jesus
Christ, our task is to share the message of the saving grace of Jesus Christ to
the whole world. To do that, we must be in the right spiritual shoes.





So what does the Christian’s perfect footwear look like?
Our feet should be covered with preparation of the gospel of peace. We are to
be taking every step every single day being completely prepared and at peace.
The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the faith and confidence to go where we
need to go. Our feet should be taking us there and no matter where we are
walking, we should be at peace knowing that we are completely obedient to God.
We are to be prepared and sharing the gospel in every aspect of how we live our
life. After all, the prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 52:7, “How lovely on the
mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and
brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your
God reigns!” Paul agreed and quoted this verse again in Romans 10:15.





To be sure, Satan would love nothing more than to keep us completely ineffective in share the gospel. We must make a conscious decision with each step we take, that we are going keep our feet strapped in and ready with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Without it, we are destined to trip and fall as surely as I would if I jogged in my heels.





Looking for that perfect shoe to compliment any outfit? Being prepared to share the good news of the message of Christ and walking in peace everywhere we go is sure to be as eye-catching as the latest design by Christian Louboutin without the hefty price tag. Plus, we’ve the added bonus of being able to withstand Satan’s attacks while we are going about sharing the message of the gospel of Christ.



Kristi Burchfiel,

Christian devotional author and speaker

Living in the World – Living out the Word

Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook page



**Check out my newest release: The Daily Devotional Series: Psalm, volume 3 now available on Smashwords and Amazon**

www.BooksByAmanda.com

Book Review: Rooms by James Rubart

On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great-uncle he never knew. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend. When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny. (Excerpt taken from http://www.jimrubart.com/writing.html)




I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! I love a book that shows you in literal terms how much God loves you and the war between good and evil. Frank Peretti did this with the books, "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness". So many others have followed this path as well. I mean let's face it, we are visual people, so if you can draw a good mental image of what exactly you are talking about, then you've done your job as a writer and you have furthered the Kingdom of Heaven.




Possible Spoiler Alert!




Rooms depicts Micah going on a physical spiritual journey through this house where random rooms appear at different times to push him to where he needs to be. Guided by letters from his Uncle Archie, Micah begins to see that he needs to get back to God. But as he begins a new life in Cannon Beach and begins to go back to where God wants him, pieces of his life in Seattle begin to disappear. The Scripture from Revelation 3:15 - 16, "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!",  is used to illustrate why things in one world fall away when the other world is furthered in some way. For example, when Micah begins to stay in Cannon Beach more and more, his business partner in Seattle is no longer his business partner, in fact, she doesn't even know who he is. When he stays in Cannon Beach for several weeks without calling anyone in Seattle, he finds that he is no longer the owner and CEO of the company, instead he is just a simple worker. But the final test comes when one of the rooms talks Micah into believing that he can have a life in both worlds and that he needs to go back to Seattle to claim his life there before it all disappears. When Micah returns to Seattle, he finds that he is back in the company as the owner and CEO and that he is back to where he was before. But as soon as he leaves Cannon Beach, Micah feels a sense that he has lost something in Cannon Beach and he immediately feels like God has disappeared as well. After a short time of trying to make his life in Seattle feel as satisfying as it did before and still have his girlfriend and life in Cannon Beach, Micah quickly realizes that he needs to go back. When he returns to Cannon Beach, he finds that his girlfriend no longer knows that they were dating for months on end and life is not quite the same. Sensing some urgency in this changed life in Cannon Beach, Micah turns to the Lord and begins realizing that the voice in the room was a demon and that his best friend, Rick is an angel sent to lead him through this path. The final picture is of redemption and grace and mercy.




It's a great read and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone!!




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www.BooksByAmanda.com

Bold and Courageous!

I have raised my children to respect their elders. That is my expectation. Talking back is not an option. Neither is being sarcastic or having a “smart” mouth.



The other day we were at a family gathering and my nine-year-old son contradicted his grandfather. Not only did he contradict him, but he also flat out told him he was wrong and proceeded to explain to him why he was wrong and provided him with the correct information.



Let me explain the situation. My husband and father were discussing religion. More specifically, creation. My father stated, “time” has always been here. God did not create time.” My husband contradicted him with “Of course God created time.”





They continued to disagree on the topic of the creation of space. My father said God did not create space, which goes on for eternity. Space, like time, has always been here. It was never created.



By this time I had been included in the conversation and of course, I agreed with my husband. God did indeed create everything. Without Him, there is nothing.



We didn’t name our son Jeremiah for nothing. He is as bold as they come, especially when it comes to matters of faith. He will talk to anyone, and I mean anyone, about his or her faith. He wants to know if you are a Christian, if you are looking for a church and if you need help, you are more than welcome to come to ours. He is not shy about his faith. Period.





So, my son hears my father dissing God and immediately wants to rectify the situation. His comments were not rude or disrespectful. He actually said very little. His comment was thus: “Grandpa, you are wrong. God made everything, all through out the galaxy. He made everything. He is God.” With that simple statement, he left. That was it.



My gut reaction was to interrupt him. I didn’t follow my gut. I let him speak. I questioned myself later and after we were settled in at home, my husband said he would always encourage Jeremiah to speak boldly about his faith.



I love my son’s boldness. I love that he is not concerned with the opinions of man.



The Word says this:



“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:6



How about this verse:



“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” I Corinthians 16:13



I have a lot to learn from my son. He doesn’t argue. He simply states the facts then removes himself from the conversation. It’s matter of fact. There is no room for arguing because how can one argue with the truth? He fully believes what he says is truth, so he does not feel the need to prove himself right.





I love how Jesus did it. He didn’t back down in the name of being politically correct. He called a spade a spade. But, he didn’t argue either. He boldly stood for truth. Do you?



Thanks for taking the time to grow with me this Wednesday!



Darlene Shortridge,

Author of Until Forever and Forever Blessed

www.darleneshortridge.com

www.darleneshortridge.blogspot.com/

































www.BooksByAmanda.com

They Stood Alone ~ Free Gifts 9/25 Only!

Join us for







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"They Stood Alone: 25 Men and Women

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About This Book:

They Stood Alone!:
25 Men and Women Who Made a Difference is an inspiring collection of
brief biographies of 25 men and women who refused to conform to the societal
beliefs and expectations of their time and, by stepping out and away from the
crowd, they changed their world and ours as well.




It has received the
2011 Mom's Choice Gold Award for Young Adult Nonfiction, the 2012 Readers
Favorite Silver Medal Award for Young Adults-General, the 2012 American
Authors Association Golden Quill Award for Children's Books and was the
2011-2012 DIY Book Festival Winner for the Teenage category. The Pennsylvania
School Librarians Association (PSLA) also selected it for their annual list
of best selections for young adults in the nonfiction category.




www.BooksByAmanda.com